Combined supporting and elevating means



May 18,1926. v V 1,585,005

(5; F. ZAUN COMBINED SUPPORTING AND ELEVATING MEANS Filed Dec. 26, 1922 zsheets-sheet 1 415 5 W525 5, 2m :53.

r N i P ,5 INVENTOR,

" 620238 JZZaza z A TTORNEYS.

May 18 G. F. ZAUN COMBINED SUPPORTING AND ELEVATING MEANS Filed Dec. 26. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, 6 602" e1 Zaah BY' ATTORNEYS.

supporting and elevating means en'ibodying COMBINE?) SUP'EORTING i Application filed December ihis invention relates to combined supportin and elevating means, more particularly adapted for installation in baggage cars and other rolling stock, whereby bones, goods, packages, cases, caskets and other receptacles or objects or articles may be readily and conveniently raised from the floor and disposed in positions of elevation upon suitable racks arranged preferably adjacent the walls of the car or other rolling stock; al though it is to be understood that the invention is equally adaptable for installation in buildings and compartments thereof or in other storage spaces. In the use of the invention, a car floor may be kept clear of an excess of baggage or other articles, and thus conserved for such baggage and articles as Y are required to be shifted frequently, such as way baggage, through baggage 0r baggage to be transported long distances being disposed of upon the supporting racks at the sides or ends of the main interior of the car. The racks likewise provide con venient supporting means for baskets, trays, or other receptacles in which may be carried segregated or collected objects or articles to be discharged from the car at specific points, and thus relatively small packages may be grouped together and all put off the train at a given station 'l he invention has for its object the provision of improved supporting and elevating means of the general character stated, which will be superior in point of relative simplicity and inexpensiveness, taken in conjunction with durability and effectiveness in service, compactness in form, facility in use and manipulation, freedom from liability to damage or impairment, and which will be generally superior in efficiency and serviceability.

lVith the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, combination, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter lugs, and finally pointed out in claims.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of combined the invention and constructed an entirety to be installed in cars or buildings, or wherever capable of useful service, the elevating means being shown in lowered position;

satin, or stair A113 ELELEVA'EING IiEEANS.

26, 1522. {serial No. 688,924.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, the elevating means being shown in raised position for delivery of a load to the support ing means;

Figure 3 is a detail fragmentary transverse ti nal elevation of a baggage car body showing the elevating and supporting means of Figure 1, in end elevation, or looking in the direction. of the arrow in Figure 1;

Figure t is an end elevation of the elevating means shown in Figures 1 and 2, partly in section, the same being in detached position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of detail features of the supporting means;

Figure (3 is a perspective view of a detail shown in Figure 5, in detached position; and,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the elevating means shown in the other figures.

Corresponding parts in all. the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawings, A designates generally therein the elevating means, and B the supporting means, which conjointly operate in the practice of the invention. These main members of the structure may be installed for service in any suitable and preferable manner, but are 35 shown in the drawings combined to form a unit which may in turn be installed for scr vice, such unit having upper and lower transverse frame members 8 and 9, and vertical spaced side members 10, the frame so organized being reinforced by crossed diagonal braces 11 secured at their ends to the top and bottom members 8 and 9, and the side frame members 10 may consist each of a T- rail constituting ways or tracks for the elevating means A which may comprise slidable carriages 12, one for each rail 10, each such carriage having a forward roller 13 and a rearward roller 14, which rollers embrace the respective rail and guide the carriage in its travel vertically thereon, each of such carriages being of open frame-work surround ing the respective rail. The two carriages are connected by upper and lower transverse rails 16 and 15 to operate in unison, and each 195 carriage is provided with a hinged horizontal arm or bracket 17 pinn d to the respective carriage as at 18, and adapted to be folded inwardly in overlapping relation parallel with the plane of the frame C which includes 110 the members 3, 9, i0 and 11, as above described. The elevating means further includes hoisting chains 19, one for each of the carriages 12, the same being connected each at the lower end with one of the carriages, as at 20, and being passed over a sprocket wheel 21, which sprocket wheels are fast upon a horizontal transverse shaft 22 mounted in journal bores 23 supported at the sides and top of the frame C. Such shaft is further journaled upon a bracket or arm 24 laterally of the frame C, as at 25, and carries at one end a worm gear 26 meshing with a worm 27 which carries a pinion meshing with a pinion 29 upon a shaft 30 which in turn is provided with a sprocket wheel 31 about which is trained an endless hoist chain 32, the worm 2'7 and pinion 28 being mounted upon a short shaft 33 supported by the bracket 24, and the shaft 30 is similarly supported. When the chain hois 32 and attendant parts are manipulated the elevator including the carriages 12 is raised or lowered, as desired, and a load upon the outwardly swung arms 17 may be raised for transference to the supporting means B, which has a plurality of stations each equipped with swinging bracl-rcts 34, arranged in vertical series'at the opposite sides of the frame 0. These brackets 34 are thus arranged in pairs with one bracket of each pair at each side of the frame in substantially the same transverse plane so as to support a load substantially horizontally. The brackets 34 are provided each with spaced knuckles 34. at the inner end of such bracket, and said knuckles are adapted to be associated with a vertical series or plurality of knuckles 34 upon a hinge member 35, each such hinge member being secured to the adjacent side frame member or track 10. The hinge knuckles 34 have stop shoulders 34 and these cooperate with the knuckles 34 to limit swinging movement of the respective arm after it has been swung outwardly or forwardly into a plane substantially at right angles with that of the frame C. Pintles 36 pass through the knuckles 34 and 34 associating such knuckles together, and due to the plurality of knuckles 34 each bracket 34 may be supported in a plurality of positions of different latitude, thus to accommodate loadsof different sizes or dispose them at different heights. Upon each bracket 34 is mounted a stop arm 37 which is provided with an upturnedouter end 37 each such arm having-an elongated longitudinal slot 37 through which is passed a bolt 33 and a wing nut 39 thereon for clamping and securing the stop arm 37 in suitable position of extension laterally of the respective bracket 34. Reinforcing and limiting chains 40 are provided for the outer ends of the brackets 34, one at each side of the structure, each being suitably supporter at its upper end, as at 41, as in the roof strucinstallations, and provides convenient ture' of the car, and certain links of the same are inter-engaged with pivoted dogs 42 chambered in the outer ends of the brackets 34, at as 43, cranked adjusting'screws 4-4- being passed vertically through the respective chambers 43, and threaded. in connection with such dogs so as to tighten the chains and give a load-sustaining function thereto. Limiting chains 45 are also provided as between opposed brackets 34 to prevent outward separation of thesame, when they are in load-supporting position, each such chain being connected at one end with one of such. opposed brackets 34 and at the other end with a bolt 46 threaded through the opposite bracket 34 and having a wing not 4? for securing the chain and bolt in adjusted position, to establish tension between such opposed brackets.

In the operation of the mechanism, a load 1s placed upon the elevatingmeans .or the arms or brackets 17 thereof, when the latter are swung forwardly into supporting positions, and the chain hois and attendant features are i'nanipulatedto operate the shaft 22 and raise the load, such. as a box, trunk, suit case, casket, or other object or article, into position whereby it may be shifted over from such arms '17, onto opposed brackets 34, after the latter have been swung forwardly into parallel relation to receive and support such load; The lint-- iting arms 37 are then adjusted to stop the load against shifting endwise transversely of the brackets 34, and the chains 40 are connected with the bifurcated dogs 42 of the brackets 34 to help sustain the load and likewise limit the load against escape from the ends of the brackets. Also, the respec tive chain 45 is tightened up by means of the respective wingnut 47 to exert a tension between the'brackets, thus maintaining them in parallel relation and preventing their swinging oppositely from supporting positions. After the load has been disposed upon the uppermost pair of opposed brackets 34, successive loads may be imposed upon pairs beneath, and, after all the brackets 34 are loaded, the spaces below such loads and beneath the lowermost brackets 34 may be supplied with an object or article, the arms 17 of the elevating means being swung inwardly and out of the way as in Figs. 1 and 7. lVhen not in use, the arms or brackets 34 are also swung outwardly into the positions shown at the leftha-nd side of Figure 1. and out of the way, so as not to obstruct the interior of the car.

In Figure l'the bracket 34 and limit arm 37 are broken away. and in section in part, at the lower left-hand side of Figure l, to disclose the adjustability of said limit arm.

The entire device is compact in form and readily adapted to various conditions and and 1 eiiective means for storing objects and loads either temporarily or for longer periods of time, so as to make more available the floor space, and utilize interior spaces otherwise not utilized or utilized without the diti'icul'ty of raising and piling up such, loads and objects. It will be obvious thatthe invention may be installed in any portion of a car or interior, and is not necessarily to be applied to the sides thereof, and that several of the same may be installed in spaced relation throughout a given interior.

It is further obvious that various changes and variations may be made in practicing the invention, all with respect to the foregoing description and drawings, without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Improvements of the character disclosed, comprising adjustable load-supporting means capable of being moved into and out of position of service, and elevating means associated therewith for delivering a load to said supporting means; said supporting means comprising a plurality of brackets, and means for maintaining the same in position of relative adjustment to support a load.

2. Improvements of the character disclosed, comprising adjustable load-supporting means capable of being-moved into and out of position of service, and elevating means associated therewith for delivering a load to said supporting means; said supporting means comprising relatively adjustable brackets, and means upon each of said brackets for limiting movement of a load. thereon.

3. Improvements of the character disclosed, comprising adjustable load-supporting means capable of being moved into and out of position of service, and elevating means associated therewith for delivering a load to said supporting means; said supporting means comprising relatively adjustable brackets, and means upon each of said. brackets for limiting movement of a load thereon, such means being provided for limiting movement both transversely of and longitudinally of the brackets.

a. In improvements of the character disclosed, adjustable supporting brackets and a load-sustaining flexible member suitably supported and connected with said brackets.

5. In improvements of the character disclosed, adjustable supporting brackets and a load-sustaining flexible member suitably supported and detachably connected with said brackets.

6. In improvements of the character disclosed, adjustable supporting brackets and a load-sustaining flexible member suitably supported and connected with said brackets;

8. Improvements of the character disclosed, comprising adjustable load-supportmg means capable of being moved into and out of position oi service, and elevating means associated therewith for delivering a load to said supporting means; in combination with operating means for the elevating means.

9. Improvements of the character disclosed, comprising adjustable load-supporting means capable of being moved into and out of position of service, and elevating means associated therewith for delivering aload to said supporting means; in combination with operating means for the elevating means; said operating means including a chain hoist.

10. Improvements of the character disclosed, comprising adjustable load-supporting means capable of being moved into and out of position of service, and elevating means associated therewith for delivering a load to said supporting means; said sup porting means comprising spaced brackets, and means to maintain the same in positions of varying height.

11. Improvements of the character disclosed, comprising adjustable load-supporting means capable of being moved into and out of position of service, and elevating means associated therewith for delivering a load to said supporting means; said supporting means comprising spaced brackets, and means to maintain the same in positions of varying height; .said brackets being likewise hingedly supported.

12. Improvements of the character disclosed, comprising adjustable load-supporting means capable of being moved into and out of position of service, and elevating means associated therewith for delivering a load to said supporting means; said supporting means comprising spaced brackets, and means to maintain the same in positions of varying height; said brackets being likewise hingedly supported and provided with stop means for limiting the swinging movement thereof.

13. In improvements of the character disclosed, load-su porting means comprising spaced relativey adjustable brackets, and means extending between the brackets for maintaining the same in load-supporting positions. 1 t

spaced relatively adjustable brackets, and means extending between the br shots for maintaining the same in load-supporting positions; said means for limiting relative movement of said brackets comprising a flexible member extending between the brackets, means being provided for putting said flexible member under tension.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 20 name to this specification.

GEORGE F. ZAUN. 

